FROM SNE

I TO BE THE BEST I SNE's mission statement describes the

organization as " . . . the premier associa­tion committed to linking nutrition, food and education." What does it take to be positioned as the premier, the first, the best? Recently, several top association ex­ecutives offered their collective wisdom to address the question of excellence in professional associations. Three observa­tions led everyone's list of characteristics possessed by a first class association. The first class association:

• has a clear understanding shared by members and other stakeholders of why it exists and what it is trying to accom­plish; • has a compelling vision of the future, of where it wants to go in the next five or ten years, that is embraced by members and other stakeholders; and • knows its niche in the association marketplace and strives to be effective in filling it. The pursuit of these characteristics pro-

vides the impetus for SNE's two year vi­sioning and strategic planning process. Ini­tiated at the 1992 Annual Meeting, the visioning activities are important enough to be the focus of the association's thinking for the coming months. In this first year, ideas will be generated in multiple forums of individual and corporate members, past and present elected leaders, and other stakeholders inside and outside of the or­ganization. The ideas will be systematically collated, focused through a series of itera­tions, and finally crafted into a compelling scenario for the future.

You have a stake in this vision for the future. If you were unable to be at the Annual Meeting to contribute your dreams, mail or fax them now to Board members in care of the headquarters of­fice. FAX to 612-854-7869 or call me on the toll-free telephone line, 1-800-235-6690; I will convey your thoughts and ideas to the Board of Directors and the Strategic Planning Committee. Share your answers

I Public Policy Update I Before Congress leaves for summer re­

cess, they most likely will approve the Agriculture Appropriation Bill, which could fund nutrition education and federal food assistance programs at levels outlined in the May SNE Communicator, but at this writing, the final figures are not available. In the meantime, SNE has started concen­trating on other nutrition issues.

NUTRITION EDUCATION

Educators have a new food graphiC to use. The Food Guide Pyramid, released in April, replaces the food wheel that for many years was used as the graphic to sym­bolize the Dietary Guidelines for Ameri­cans. A year ago, Secretary Madigan put a hold on the Eating Right Pyramid until research determined if children and low­income, less educated adults could under­stand the graphic's message.

A research firm in Massachusetts evalu­ated various graphiCS for their effective­ness in reaching these groups. Several SNE members participated in the study:

Jean Goldberg, as a professional consul­tant, and Cheryl Achterberg and Isobel Contento on the adviSOry panel. It was decided that the Food Guide Pyramid best conveyed the message that all food groups are important to the total diet, but that they should be eaten in varying amounts. SNE wrote Secretary Madigan directly and jOined the American Dietetic Associa­tion in a press release applauding USDA's decision to reinstate the pyramid.

NUTRITION MONITORING

The Nutrition Monitoring Advisory Council met at the end of February and addressed the comparability among vari­ous surveys and their capability of ade­quately assessing at-risk populations such as the homeless and Native Americans. Sheryl L. Lee, appointed by House Speaker Foley, joins four other SNE members on the Council. The Council will meet again this summer to continue work on evaluating the ten-year nutrition moni­toring plan for the U.S.

161

to these questions: What is the essence of the Society for Nutrition Education? What are its core values as an organization? What does SNE do best and how does that relate to what the profession needs and to what the world needs? How can SNE re­ally make a difference in the lives of its members and in SOciety? What is our vi­sion for SNE in the twenty-first century?

The outcome of the visioning process, SNE's vision for nutrition education and nutrition educators in the twenty-first cen­tury, will be presented to SNE members at the 1993 Annual Meeting. The outcome will be the basis for year two's strategic thinking about and planning for how we will focus our organizational resources on achieving that vision.

Walt Disney said, "If you can dream it, you can do it." SNE's members are uniquely qualified to imagine nutrition ed­ucation in the twenty-first century. We can make that dream a reality by fOCUSing our collective creativity, energy and resources on being the best-at whatever that vision turns out to be!

Darlene Lansing, M.P.H., R.D. Executive Director, SNE

NUTRITION LABELING

Fran Cronin's hardworking Task Force is finishing SNE's comments on the FDA's and USDA's six proposed formats for nu­trition labeling. To help decide which nu­trition format would be the best choice, SNE member Laura Sims developed a re­search prospectus to study additional for­mat features. With the help of Paul Thomas, COPP Chairman, Dr. Sims worked with consumer and health organi­zations to launch a research project. Un­fortunately, during these tight financial times, no monetary support was obtained and the project died.

INTERNATIONAL NUTRITION

The International Conference on Nutri­tion, scheduled for December in Rome, is moving full speed ahead (see JNE March! April). Unhappy with USDA's revision of the U.S. country paper, SNE, along with consumer and health organizations, re­vised the paper's recommendations to of­fer more substantial solutions to the prob­lems of malnutrition in the U.S. For the goal of increasing low-income Americans' access to an affordable, healthy and safe

162 FROM SNE

food supply, the group recommended full funding for the WIC program, so that not only eligible pregnant women and infants could participate but also breast-feeding women and their children. Also recom­mended were removing barriers to partici­pation in the food stamp program, contin­uing WIC Farmers' Market coupon programs, and coordinating federal food assistance with income assistance pro­grams. The importance of job training and child care were also emphasized.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH

To enhance access to an affordable and nutritious food supply, Congress is consid­ering a bill to promote breast-feeding and one to reauthorize the WIC Farmers' Market Coupon Program. Bill H.R. 4322, the Breast-feeding Promotion Act of 1992, sponsored by Representatives Emerson (R-MO) and Molinari (R-NY), proposes amending the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to establish a breast-feeding promotion program within USDA. The program will promote breast-feeding as the best method of infant nutrition, foster public acceptance of breast-feeding, and distrib­ute equipment to assist mothers in breast­feeding. SNE communicated its support for H.R. 4322 to House members of an Education and Labor Subcommittee con­sidering the bill.

A House Agriculture Subcommittee is deciding on a bill to re-authorize the WIC Farmer's Market Coupon program, which began in 1989. The Education and Labor Committee has already approved a com­panion bill. According to states conducting the pilot programs, more farmers now par­ticipate in farmer markets, produce sales have grown, and low-income mothers us­ing WIC coupons have purchased more fruits and vegetables. The USDA opposes re-authorization and believes that funds should go to enroll more eligible low-in­come mothers and children in the WIC. SNE sent letters supporting re-authoriza­tion to members of the House Agriculture Committee.

HEALTH CARE REFORM

Legislative health care reform depends on the will of the House and Senate lead­ership to find a compromise. Approxi­mately forty legislative proposals have sur­faced, and while the Democratic leadership would like to make health care reform a major election issue, they cannot agree on how it should be accomplished. SNE is working with the American Di­etetic Association to ensure that preventa­tive health and nutrition services will be included in any health care reform pack­age.

I SNE Member Reports I SNE COUNCIL OF AFFILIATES

Interested in building on the net­working opportunities and experiences provided by SNE membership? Why not consider joining the SNE affiliate in your state, province, or metropolitan area? If there is none, you and your local food and nutrition colleagues can form one! For more information, contact SNE headquar­ters in Minneapolis or Lisa Sadleir-Hart, 1992-93 Chairperson, SNE Council of Af­filiates, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation, 222 Tongass Dr., Sitka, AK 99835; (907) 966-2456.

SNE Council of Affiliates (COA) events at SNE's 25th anniversary meeting in Washington, DC, included the COA an­nual meeting on July 15. For more infor­mation about the COA meeting, contact Lisa Sadleir-Hart.

SNE AFFILIATES AND CONTACTS

• Alaska State Nutrition Committee Contact: Lisa Sadleir-Hart, Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation,

222 Tongass Dr., Sitka, AK 99835; (907) 966-2451

• Nutrition Council of Arizona Contact: Ellie Rock, Phoenix Memorial Hospital, 1201 S. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007; (602) 238-3245

• British Columbia Nutrition Council Contact: Anthea Kennelly, % B.C. Nu­trition Council, P.O. Box 35141, Station E, Vancouver, B.C. V6M 4Gl; (604) 957-2314

• California Nutrition Council Contact: Johanna Asarian-Anderson, Dept. of Health Services, Nutrition Program, County of Los Angeles, 313 N. Figueroa St., Rm. 227, Los Angeles, CA 90012; (213) 974-8112

• Colorado Nutrition Council Contact: Linda Ryan, 7837 S. Newland, Littleton, CO 80123; (303) 220-9200

• Delaware Valley Chapter-SNE Contact: Terry Heller, 816 Buckingham Rd., Rydal, PA 19046; (215) 576-5929

• Hawaii Nutrition Council Contact: Joda Derrickson, 44-155-4 Laha St., Kaneohe, HI 96744; (808) 956-3840

FOOD SAFETY

The Food and Drug Administration re­leased guidelines at the end of May for industries that are developing genetically engineered plants. These guidelines, which have a 90 day comment period, as­sume that such plant strains will present no safety concerns and thus do not need prior approval. Exceptions are when the plant contains new substances, new toxi­cants or new allergens, and/or has a modi­fied nutrient composition. In general, in­dustry has sought the advice of FDA in assessing the safety of new plant strains.

ANNUAL MEETING

SNE members who participated in the Public Policy Workshop at the annual meeting sharpened their public policy skills and can now confidently respond to policy issues. SNE thanks Paul Thomas, Donna Cohen Ross and Ellen Lazzaro for their efforts in planning this session. I hope many more SNE members become interested and active in shaping public pol­icy.

Nancy Chapman, M.P.H., R.D. Director of Public Policy, SNE 1723 U Street, N. W. Washington, DC 20009 (202) 659-1858; FAX (202) 387-5553

• Kansas Nutrition Council Contact: Katherine A. Wehrbein, 8129 Lamar, Shawnee Mission, KS 66208; (913) 321-4803; or Mary P. Clarke, 2400 Buena Vista, Manhattan, KS 66502; (913) 532-5782

• Kentucky Nutrition Council Contact: Fudeko Maruyama, 116 Erik­son Hall, University of Kentucky, Lex­ington, KY 40546-0050; (606) 257-1812

• Metro D.C. Affiliate-SNE Contact: Alyson Escobar, 8304 Triple Crown Rd., Bowie, MD 20715; (301) 436-5194

• Minnesota Nutrition Council Contact: Jerry Soechting, St. Paul-Ram­sey County Nutrition Program, 1954 University Ave., Rm. 12, St. Paul, MN 55104; (612) 292-7000

• New Mexico Community Nutrition Council Contact: Mary Meyer, WIC Program, 1111 Stanford, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106; (505) 841-4806

• Ohio Nutrition Council Contact: Meg Wagner, Ohio Dept. of Education, NET, 65 S. Front St., Rm. 611, Columbus, OH 43266-0308; (614) 644-6102